Glass bottles are an established technology that goes back more than 200 years. Bottling companies, however -- just like other industries -- keep incorporating new, improved technology into their operations. Some machines perform the same function as previous models, only they do it faster or better. Other inventions used in the bottling industry bring innovations and new approaches to the table.

Sterility

No bottling company wants contaminated products going on sale. The Kansas-based bottling company KanPak announced in 2011 it has developed a new system for aseptic bottling in sterile rooms. The sterile bottles give both low and high-acid drinks a longer shelf life, so retailers can keep them on unrefrigerated shelves without worrying that they'll spoil before they sell. With less need for refrigeration, the industry can reduce power usage and cut costs.

Filtration

Bottled-water companies must make sure their water contains no impurities. If they use spring water, it may include high concentrations of minerals or sediment from the natural environment. The need for purity means there's a steady market for new filtration technology. Koch Membrane Systems states on its website that its filters can remove dissolved particles as small as 1 micron. According to the Pall Corporation, bottlers can reuse the its 0.1 micron hollow-fiber Pall Aria membranes, eliminating money wasted on disposable filters.

Ozone

Ozone, a gas with molecules composed of three oxygen atoms apiece, plays a role in bottling industry innovations. According to Degremont Technologies, bottlers can sterilize containers using ozone in the wash water, which cleans bottles even before they're filled. Some bottled-water companies also mix ozone into their water, and other firms use it to sanitize the bottle and its packaging. Degremont says a dose of ozone as small as 0.3 to 0.5 milligrams (mg) can prove enough to sterilize a package.

Bottling

While the automated bottling process has been around for a while, the technology is constantly improving. U.S. Bottlers, for example, offers its clients a choice of bottle-filling machinery that can determine fill based on the level of the bottle, the net weight of the bottle's contents or the precise volume of the liquid. Each system can separate trapped air, steam and foam from the fluid to make sure buyers receive the quality drink for which they paid.

About the Author

Author of two film reference books, "Cyborgs, Santa Claus and Satan" and "The Wizard of Oz Catalog." Published in Air & Space, Backpacker, Newsweek, The Writer, and multiple trade journals (can fax samples if requested, don't have them available digitally)